Jason Garrett channels Bill Parcells: No stars on rookies' helmets

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Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer

Dallas Cowboys Jay Ratliff (90) jokes around with Marcus Spears (left, 96) and Kenyon Coleman (98) before the morning walk through at Dallas Cowboys training camp at the Alamodome in San Antonio on August 1, 2011. Coleman and Spears are not allowed to join the team in practice until Thursday.

SAN ANTONIO - Jason Garrett is following in the footsteps of Bill Parcells and has had all the blue stars removed from the helmets of rookies for his first training camp as the team's head coach.

That even includes undrafted rookie free agent Zack Eskridge, whose grandfather, Jack, was the Cowboys' first equipment manager (1960-72) and actually helped design the team's trademark logo some 50 years ago. The fourth-string quarterback from Midwestern State and Rockwall has been donning a silver helmet in practices.

Garrett played sevens years as a reserve quarterback for the Cowboys and he knows the value and symbolism the blue star represents.

"The star is very important to us. The star is an international symbol. It's the Dallas football Cowboys. The star means something. The team has been around for 51 years, there's a great tradition here," Garrett said. "You have to earn the right to wear that star. We're very clear with the players about that. Just because you sign with the Dallas Cowboys doesn't mean you've earned that thing yet. Hopefully, at some point, [the rookies] do the things necessary to earn that star on the side of their helmet."

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